The New York Yankees may have been bounced in the first round of the playoffs this past season but at least fans of the Bronx Bombers can boast the team is first in something: payroll. New York set a record with its $218.3 million payroll last season—and collected the most revenue in baseball, $415 million, according to the Associated Press.
The Yanks will likely lead the majors in payroll next season as well, even though their total is expected to drop several million. The World Series champion Boston Red Sox were a distant second to New York with a payroll totaling $155.4 million last season. Fellow American League East member Tampa Bay had a $31.8 million payroll, the lowest in major league baseball. (More baseball stories.)